Fuel pellets from sunflower husks: characteristics, reviews

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

During the production of oil from sunflower seeds, waste is generated - husks. The enterprise accumulates tens of tons of them. Currently, fuel pellets are produced from sunflower husks. Read about it in the article.

What are pellets?

These are granules obtained from crushed raw materials by pressing. They are cylindrical in shape and firm in texture. Various natural materials are used for their production: wood, straw, peat, cereal husks, and sunflower husks. Pellets from it are a by-product of sunflower oil production. The density of the granules is a little over one thousand kilograms per cubic meter.

Usually, the pellets are 50mm long and 4-10cm in diameter. High quality pellets are gray in color and have a glossy surface that should be free from cracks. If they are found during inspection, this is a low-quality product. Consumers experiencing similar problems believe that the production process was violatedtechnology or the air in the room was too humid, above the permissible norm. The granules must be dry. This is determined by their weight.

Pellets as an alternative to traditional fuels

Natural resources are depleted every year. This has become one of the global problems in the life of modern society. In this regard, it is pellets, as an alternative to traditional fuel, that will help humanity bring its resolution closer. Indeed, for the production of pellets, natural raw materials are used, which in industry and agriculture are waste and must be destroyed. It is noteworthy that in many industries, the husks are stored, rot and often become a source of ignition. According to consumer feedback, the production of pellets for many regions is a salvation from environmental troubles.

According to scientists, the production of pellets under certain conditions can become a problem. The fact is that plant waste after decay forms the basis of soil fertility. If all of them are removed and used as raw materials for the production of pellets, the soil will become impoverished, you can not expect a good harvest. Over time, plants may stop growing altogether. In this regard, production should be planned very competently, not to the detriment of soil fertility. But at this time, there is no reason to worry. The explanation is simple. If you take any plant, then 60% of it has a direct purpose, and the rest is waste. Therefore, this problem, according to industrialists, is not destined to become relevant for a long time, which is verypleases.

Characteristics of pellets from sunflower husks

Pellets from such natural raw materials as husks are characterized by the following indicators:

• Do not spontaneously ignite if the ambient temperature rises, as there are no hidden pores in them.
• Bulk weight of sunflower husk pellets, reviews of which are mostly positive, is six times greater than that of the feedstock.
• When burning pellets, the emitted combustion products do not have a negative impact on humans.
• The calorific value of sunflower husk pellets is higher compared to wood.

• The thermal energy released during the combustion of fuel will be the same if we take a different number of its individual types. For example, coal - 2000 kg, wood - 3200 kg, fuel oil - 1317 liters.
• According to consumers, the pellets burn in the furnace “friendly”, there is little ash left, no more than 1-3% of the total volume of burnt pellets.
• This type of fuel has a significant advantage - renewability. All natural resources are endowed with this quality, but to varying degrees. Sunflower husks, for example, appear in large volumes in autumn.

Types of pellets

Pellets are produced in black and white colors. They differ in the way they are fired. Black granules, biogons, are fired without the use of oxygen. The process is carried out at a high temperature - 300o. They are easier to store, since moisture is not absorbed by the surface. Pelletscan be stored even on the street without any canopy, they are not afraid of precipitation: rain or snow. The advantage of black pellets, according to consumers, is that they do not mold, swell or rot. During storage, their integrity and shape are preserved, and when burned, much more heat is released compared to white granules.

Production of pellets from sunflower husks

Due to the advantages in many indicators, the demand for pellets from sunflower husks is growing. Pellets are increasingly becoming a competitive fuel. All over the world, pellet production technology has been used since 1947, in our country - relatively recently. The production of pellets is carried out on modern equipment and does not differ much from the technological process for the production of pellets from peat or wood. Innovative equipment are crushers, granulators, bunker fractions, conveyors. Their use improves the quality of pellets and increases their production.

First, the raw material goes through the pre-drying stage. Thanks to this process, the moisture content of the husk reaches no more than 14-15%. Drying technology is different. After that, the sunflower husk is crushed. For this, a hammer mill is used.

Crushed raw materials are treated with steam or hot water and only then enter the other line, into the pressing chamber of the granulator. Finished products are cooled, cleaned of crumbs and fed tostock. Pellets are packed in bags, but most often they are stored in a bunker or on the site in bulk.

Benefits of pellets

Sunflower husk pellets have a number of advantages:

• Environmentally friendly - they do not contain chemicals, plant spores, seeds that cause allergic reactions.
• Economical - the cost of pellets is low, especially in sunflower growing regions.
• Functionality - granules can be stored for a long time, as their biochemical activity is low.
• Comparatively low price, no seasonal increases. According to consumers, this is a valuable advantage of this type of fuel.
• The absence of special storage conditions that do not require additional space. This is due to the fact that the granules have a high bulk density.

• No difficulties in transportation, as the granules have standard sizes and they are free-flowing. This is especially true for remote areas of our country, where there is no way to use traditional fuels. Sunflower husk pellets come to the rescue, as they can be transported to any distance.
• The ability to use an automated combustion process without long-term intervention for maintenance, which is associated with low zoning.

Perspectives in use

Before pellets were produced, sunflower husks were used to make cake for use inagricultural needs. Today, however, husks have found a more practical application: they produce solid-consistency fuel, which has recently been increasingly used for their needs by industrial enterprises, as well as individuals. At home, stoves are heated with pellets, and in industrial production they are used to kindle boilers.

Despite the fact that this product appeared on the market relatively recently, it managed to gain popularity among consumers. The demand for fuel is increasing by 30% annually. For example, the Swedish government has developed a program according to which the consumption of pellets will increase annually, and will amount to seven million tons. In the UK, this figure will reach 600,000 tons.

Pellets from dark sunflower husks are widely used in animal husbandry. They are soaked in water, the resulting solution is used for livestock feed.

Simple recommendations

Good advice on the purchase, storage and use of pellets is never too much.

• You need to buy pellets from trusted suppliers.
• Pellets must be of high quality.
• For storage, a dry room is used, near which there is never an open fire.
• A special boiler is required to use pellets.